[kamal007]

hey guys,
i have an opportunity to buy a used lite dac-ah at a great price and im just wondering, whether it will be an upgrade or downgrade to my current emu 0404 usb?

Thanks

 

[infinitesymphony]

The LiTe DAC-AH will have a completely different sound signature; it uses a handful of non-oversampling TDA1543 DACs. As a result, it's limited to 16-bit resolution.

Whether or not you like the sound of a non-oversampling DAC is up to personal preference.

 

[kamal007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony /img/forum/go_quote.gif The LiTe DAC-AH will have a completely different sound signature; it uses a handful of non-oversampling TDA1543 DACs. As a result, it's limited to 16-bit resolution. Whether or not you like the sound of a non-oversampling DAC is up to personal preference.

so my emu is non oversampling right? how if i set the bit rate or sample rate in foobar higher, is that considered as oversampling too?

 

[infinitesymphony]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamal007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif so my emu is non oversampling right? how if i set the bit rate or sample rate in foobar higher, is that considered as oversampling too?

No, oversampling refers to how the actual DAC chips function. You're talking about upsampling, which is different. Most current DACs incorporate 8x oversampling, including the ones in pretty much all CD and DVD players, and computer hardware (including your 0404 USB). Non-oversampling DACs are the exception to the rule, as they're based on old technology.

 

[d-cee]

unfortunately i haven't heard the 0404 USB or know how it ranks against the 0404 PCI but the DAC-AH is a substantial upgrade from the 0404 PCI

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

I haven't heard both units, but the Lite Dac-Ah is a terrific DAC. It may be limited in resolution, but you won't notice it. You'll notice a very natural high end. If it's at a very decent price, I would encourage you to try it.

I never realized how important dynamics are to recreating a musical event before I tried a non-oversampling DAC.

 

[d-cee]

oh and of course DAC-AH is moddable!

with some inexpensive mods that you could perform yourself, it will take the DAC-AH to a whole new level

 

[dizzyorange]

I have a DAC-AH and previously owned an EMU0404 USB. The EMU is a tremendous value for the money, although I think a modded DAC-AH is the superior source.

On paper, the EMU should be vastly superior to the DAC-AH, which uses what Phillips calls "Economy" TDA1543 DACs paralleled to reduce error. The EMU uses the "Miracle DAC" 4th generation AKM4396 chip that is signficantly less sensitive to jitter than previous generations.

In practice, the DAC-AH sounds better to me, especially with anything vocal. It captures a sense of depth and separation, and the top end is liquid smooth and natural. Although the NOS DAC-AH has high frequency roll-off compared to the EMU, the highs actually seem more present and alive on the DAC-AH. If I listened to the 2 DACs blindly, I would guess that the DAC-AH has more high freq extension than the EMU, even though measurements show this is clearly not the case.

Vocals on the EMU sound like they are sung through a Mic, while vocals on the DAC-AH sound like the singer is standing in the room with you singing without amplification.

The DAC-AH definitely leans toward the warm side of things, while the EMU sounds neutral to my ears.

It should be noted that my experiences are based on a modded DAC-AH that has the voltage regulators changed to 8V, and the opamps bypassed with oil-in-paper caps.